Germany fearful of ‘brutal’ semifinal match with Brazil

German national team coach Joachim Loew, right, talks to Bastian Schweinsteiger as preparations continue for today's World Cup semifinal match against Brazil. (Matthias Schrader / The Associated Press)

Germany coach Joachim Loew, worried about Brazil’s “brutal” tackling, appealed to the referee of today’s World Cup semifinal to be on the lookout for such tactics.

Germany and Brazil play in Belo Horizonte, with Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez in charge of the match.

Loew was one of many observers who took note of the physical quarterfinal between Brazil and Colombia and said tackling by both sides was often “brutal and almost over the limit.”

“My hope, or what I expect, is that the referee Rodriguez keeps an eye on these things,” Loew said. “In Europe there would not be 22 players on the pitch at the end. There were many hard fouls from behind, from the side. You have to see that this brutal and robust physical side is stopped because then you won’t have a Neymar, Messi ... but other players who destroy the game.”

Neymar, Brazil’s biggest star, fractured a vertebra late in that game after taking a knee to the back, an injury that ruled him out of the rest of the competition.

Loew once again expressed regret that Neymar will miss the match. Brazil captain and defender Thiago Silva also is out because of a suspension.

Loew said Brazil was sure to take commitment, passion and emotion and the “backing of 200 million” into the semifinal, but Germany should not adjust to its opponent and will try to play its own game.

“We are confident and if we manage to play to our abilities, our hopes of reaching the final are not all that bad,” Loew said.

Executive arrested >> A senior executive with the official World Cup corporate hospitality provider was arrested in a Rio de Janeiro hotel as part of a Brazilian police investigation into illegal ticket sales.

Ray Whelan, a director of Match Hospitality, was arrested at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where senior FIFA officials are staying.

Police are investigating the illegal resale of tickets on the black market and arrested 11 people and seized 131 game tickets last week.

Match Hospitality is the main provider of hospitality packages for the World Cup and paid $240 million for the rights to sell corporate hospitality at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups

Police last week estimated the scalping ring was making 1 million Brazilian reals ($455,000) per game by re-selling tickets on the black market. They were hoping to get $16,000 per ticket for the July 13 final in Rio, according to police.

doping samples clean >> FIFA said all samples have tested clean in its World Cup anti-doping program, but no unannounced controls have been made in Brazil.

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FIFA’s chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak said analysis of all pre-competition and post-match samples was completed through the first quarterfinal match last Friday.

All 736 players have given blood samples for their individual biological passport. Two players from each team are picked at random to give samples after each match.

No player has tested positive at a World Cup since Argentina’s Diego Maradona in 1994.

Referee candidate >> Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura, who gave Brazil a controversial opening-day penalty, is a candidate to handle the final.

Nishimura has not had another match since Brazil beat Croatia 3-1, thanks to a penalty awarded when forward Fred fell after slight contact on his upper left arm.

Referees staying for the rest of the tournament include Howard Webb, the 2010 final referee from England; Ravshan Irmatov of Uzbekistan, whose nine career World Cup matches is a record and American Mark Geiger.

No punishment >> No action will be taken against the Colombia player who injured Neymar and ended the Brazil star’s World Cup, FIFA officials said.

In a separate decision, the panel also refused to consider a Confederation of Brazilian Football appeal against captain Thiago Silva’s yellow card in the 2-1 quarterfinal win over Colombia.